Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026: $325 vs $95
The Amex Gold ($325/year) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) are the two most popular mid-tier premium cards. Both target the same person: someone who eats out, orders delivery, and wants points that transfer to airlines and hotels.
After Chase's June 2026 overhaul, the CSP now has $550 in annual credits. The Amex Gold has $424. The fee gap is $230. The question is whether the Gold's credits and earning rates are worth that extra cost.
See the full side-by-side breakdown →
Credits: Where the Money Is
Amex Gold: $424/year
| Credit | Amount | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Resy Dining | $50/semi-annual ($100) | Dine at any Resy restaurant |
| Uber | $10/month ($120) | Rides, Uber Eats, or pickup |
| Restaurant Partners | $10/month ($120) | Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wonder |
| Dunkin' | $7/month ($84) | Any Dunkin' purchase |
Chase Sapphire Preferred: $550/year
| Credit | Amount | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | $10/month ($120) | Delivery, pickup, or grocery |
| DashPass | $120/year | Free DashPass membership (saves $5+ per delivery) |
| Chase Travel Hotel | Up to $100/year | Hotels booked through Chase Travel |
| Apple TV | $180 first year* | 12+ months free, then gone |
| Global Entry | $30/year effective | $120 every 4 years |
*Apple TV is a one-time activation, not recurring. Year-two CSP value drops to $370.
Category-by-Category
Dining Credits
Amex Gold: $220/year (Resy $100 + Restaurant Partners $120) CSP: $120/year (DoorDash, but it covers all food, not just restaurants)
The Gold has nearly 2x the dining credit value. Resy covers 25,000+ restaurants. Add Grubhub and Cheesecake Factory, and you can use $220/year without trying. The CSP's DoorDash credit is flexible but smaller.
If you eat at restaurants more than you order delivery, the Gold's dining credits are the better deal.
Delivery
Amex Gold: $120/year (Uber Eats) CSP: $240/year (DoorDash $120 + DashPass $120)
CSP wins here. $10/month on DoorDash plus free DashPass saves roughly $5 per order on delivery fees and service charges. If you order delivery twice a week, DashPass alone saves $40/month. The Gold's Uber credit works on Uber Eats, but it's $10/month with no membership perk.
Groceries
Amex Gold: 4x points on US supermarkets (up to $25K/year) CSP: 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, wholesale clubs)
The Gold earns 4x at any US supermarket. The CSP earns 3x only on online grocery orders. If you walk into a grocery store, the CSP earns 1x. This is a clear Gold advantage for most households.
$500/month in groceries: Gold earns 24,000 points/year. CSP earns 6,000 to 18,000 depending on how much is online.
Travel
Amex Gold: nothing CSP: $100 hotel credit + $30 Global Entry
The Gold has zero travel credits. The CSP has up to $100 in Chase Travel hotel bookings and covers Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. If you travel a few times a year, the CSP's travel credits add up. If you don't, they're wasted.
Points Earning
| Category | Amex Gold | CSP |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 4x | 3x |
| US supermarkets | 4x | 1x (3x online only) |
| Gas / EV charging | 1x | 3x |
| Streaming | 1x | 3x |
| Chase/Amex Travel | 3x | 5x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
The Gold earns more on restaurants and groceries. The CSP earns more on gas, streaming, and Chase Travel bookings. For most people spending $500/month eating out and $500/month on groceries, the Gold generates significantly more points.
Transfer Partners
Both cards let you transfer points to airline and hotel programs at favorable ratios.
Amex Gold (Membership Rewards): Delta, ANA, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Hilton (2:1), Marriott (various).
CSP (Ultimate Rewards): Hyatt (4:3 ratio since June 2026), United, Southwest, British Airways, Air France, IHG, Marriott.
The big difference: Hyatt transfers used to be the CSP's killer feature at 1:1. Since the June overhaul, it's 4:3 (1,000 Chase points = 750 Hyatt points). Still decent, but 25% worse.
Amex has Delta as an exclusive transfer partner. Chase has Hyatt and United. Both have strong airline options for international travel.
The Math
If You Max Every Credit
| Amex Gold | CSP (Year 1) | CSP (Year 2+) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total credits | $424 | $550 | $370 |
| Annual fee | -$325 | -$95 | -$95 |
| Net from credits | +$99 | +$455 | +$275 |
The CSP has a higher net from credits because its fee is $230 lower and its credits are larger. Year one is especially strong with Apple TV.
With Points Earning ($1,000/month on food)
Assume $500/month restaurants + $500/month groceries, points valued at 1.5 cents each:
| Amex Gold | CSP | |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant points | 24,000 (4x) | 18,000 (3x) |
| Grocery points | 24,000 (4x) | 6,000 (1x in-store) |
| Points value at 1.5¢ | $720 | $360 |
| Net credits | +$99 | +$275 |
| Total net value | $819 | $635 |
The Gold's 4x grocery earning narrows the fee gap significantly. If you spend heavily on restaurants and groceries, the Gold generates $360 more in points per year. That more than closes the $176 difference in net credit value.
The Verdict
Get the Amex Gold if:
- You spend $400+/month on restaurants and groceries combined
- You eat at Resy restaurants or order from Grubhub/Uber Eats
- You want the highest dining and grocery earning rates available
- You transfer points to Delta or international airlines
Get the CSP if:
- You want the lowest fee possible for a premium card
- You order from DoorDash regularly
- You drive a lot (3x gas) or stream a lot (3x streaming)
- You transfer to Hyatt, United, or Southwest
- You book hotels through Chase Travel
Get both if:
- You spend enough on food that the Gold's 4x pays for itself, and you want the CSP's travel credits and DoorDash on top. The two ecosystems don't overlap. Amex for dining and groceries, Chase for delivery, gas, and travel.
Related:
- Is the Amex Gold Worth It?: the standalone Gold breakdown
- CSP 2026 Overhaul: what changed in June
- Amex Gold vs CSP Comparison: live side-by-side
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